Bat Wings
by Lothere55
Summary: Max is trying to plan the flock's next move. Then she learns of a secret society of other mutants from a quirky girl with interesting skills... some language, slight Faxness and Iggy/?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I just joined (though I've been visiting the site for a while) and this is my first Fic, so it's probably not very good. Constructive criticism in reviews is encouraged!! **

**Max POV**

We were in a tree in the middle of a forest, and the rest of the flock was sleeping. I checked my wrist watch. It was 1:00; time for Iggy's shift.

I climbed down to his branch and shook his shoulder.

"Wake up, Ig. It's your watch."

He sat bolt upright ready to defend himself. When he didn't hear punches landing or screams of agony, he relaxed.

"It's 1:00, Iggy," I whispered.

"Hm? Oh, right. Thanks Max."

I climbed back up to my branch and tried to sleep, but The Voice started nagging me… again.

_**Sleeping on the job, Max? **_

_Oh, give me a break. I know I'm supposed to save the world, but I've got to sleep, too!_

_**I'm just saying you're wasting valuable time.**_

_You're right; talking to an annoying voice in my head is a colossal waste of time! I'm wasting time that might be spent doing something constructive, like, I don't know, SLEEPING?!_

It was no use. I was thoroughly awake, and way too ticked off to lie around. But I didn't want to fly, either. I wanted time to think, because like it or not, my conversation with The Voice had reminded me that I needed to plan the flock's next move. I climbed back down to Iggy's branch.

"I can't sleep. I'm going for a walk, Ok?"

He nodded and smiled. "Have fun," he said sarcastically.

I continued climbing down the tree. I smiled as I saw Angel and Total curled up together and sleeping peacefully. Nudge was twitching and mumbling, still talking and jumping around in her dreams. Gazzy was lightly snoring. And Fang… Fang was completely motionless and silent, almost invisible. I lingered for a second, and then dropped to the ground.

As I walked, I wondered what the flock and I would do now. Itex was basically destroyed, so there wasn't any need to worry about that. Then there was Mr. organs-in-a-tank and his army of Go-bots. They were probably gone, but what about all of those people who had wanted to buy us? Who knew what sort of diabolical deeds they were cooking up? Then again, they weren't really any of our business, since they hadn't tried to kill us, imprison us, or dissect us… yet. Maybe it would be more practical just to get rid of them now when they aren't expecting anything, rather than waiting for them to make the first move. On the other hand, we didn't know anything _about_ those people and they probably didn't know that much about us. So why poke a stick in the hornets nest?

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard something off to the right. It sounded too big to be a rabbit or a squirrel, and it seemed to be walking on two legs.

I quickly weighed my options. Fight, fly, or hide? I had no idea what I was going up against, so I ruled out option #1. If I flew, I'd probably be seen (if I hadn't been seen already), and since I didn't know what it was that would see me, I crossed option #2 off my list. That left me with option #3.

I climbed into a tree and waited. I heard something walk over to the tree until it was standing _under the branch I was sitting on._ I could see it now, it was… a girl?! _What the heck is a regular girl doing out in a forest in the middle of the night?_ I wondered.

She stood underneath my branch for a minute.

"You can come down, you know," she said calmly. "I could hear you breathing a mile away."

Damn! Ok, time to switch to option #2.

I snapped out my wings and leaped into the air. I figured I'd fly away from the flock to keep her from bumping into them, then double back, wake up everyone else, and get the heck out of here!

Then I heard a dry rustling sound, kind of like the sound you get when you rub two paper bags together. I looked over my shoulder, and _oh my God_. The girl was flying. With wings. Bat wings.


	2. Stella

Hey

**Hey! So glad you guys liked the first chappie and my cliffie! There's a Fang POV in this one, though I have a little trouble adjusting to his character. What do you think? Should I do more POVs, or stick with Max's side of the story? Enjoy!**

_Crap. A bat/human hybrid? That's insane. Absolutely insane!_

As I was processing this frightening development, I was gradually slowing down. I was spending too much time trying to get over the initial shock and not nearly enough time _moving_.

Bat Girl isn't as fast as I usually am, but she's fast enough to grab hold of my legs in my momentary distress, and strong enough to keep holding on.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why didn't I go faster when I had the chance?_

"Could you land please?" she asked in a disconcertingly calm voice. "I don't plan on taking you anywhere against your will. Nor do I wish to harm you. I'd only like to talk with you."

Riiiiiight. Then again, landing was starting to sound like a good idea; Bat Girl was pretty heavy.

"Listen, I'm not making your flight any easier, and I'm not letting go. You'll need to land soon anyway," she said, a speck of impatience creeping into her voice.

She did have a point. If she tried anything, I could probably take her. Probably.

"Ok, fine," I sighed.

I began circling; looking for a clear space where landing with a passenger wouldn't be hazardous. There seemed to be a little clearing in the middle of the forest. I gently coasted to the ground, and Bat Girl had the sense to jump off before my feet touched the ground.

I turned around to face her. Now that my feet were firmly on the ground, I got a better look at my pursuer. She was tall with a slightly olive complexion. Her dark brown wavy hair flowed past her shoulders, and her eyes were almost black. She was wearing a simple blue T-shirt with jeans, and no shoes. Odd.

I decided to get to down to business.

"Right. So what do you want?" I demanded. I didn't have time for courtesy.

"First, to apologize for startling you," she said. "My… abilities often have that effect on people."

_No, really? I haven't the slightest idea why. _

"Secondly," she went on, "to inform you of a group called 'The Resistance.' It's a society of free mutants and regular humans in the know."

_Whaaaaaaat?_

"Our mission was previously about freeing other mutants and stopping Itex, but since a certain family of human/avian hybrids won a war at the Itex HQ… come to think of it, you're probably part of that family. You're Maximum Ride, aren't you?"  
I hesitated for a moment. Could she be trusted_? Well, I'm still alive and free, aren't I?_ "Yes," I answered.

"I thought so," she grinned. "I'm Stella. Stella Santangelo. But anyway, maybe we could discuss this further with the rest of your family?"

"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked suspiciously. Being constantly on the run tends to make you paranoid.

"I can't really offer you insurance, Max," Stella said. "But there's only one of me and… six of you, correct?"

_That's true…_

"Fine, but one false move and you're dead."

"That's Ok, I'm used to that kind of reaction," she shrugged.

_Just what exactly does this girl do on a regular basis? _I wondered. _I guess I'm going to find out._

"So, are we flying or walking?" she briskly inquired.

"Flying. Let's go." I rose into the night with Stella right behind me.

**Fang POV**

I woke up to the sound of Max's voice. I like Max's voice, and it would have been pleasant if she hadn't been shouting loud enough to wake up anyone within a ten mile radius.

"Ok everyone, up and at 'em!"

Everyone sat up and rubbed the sleep from their eyes. It was still dark.

"What the hell is going on, Max? It's 2:00 in the morning," I muttered darkly.

"We have a visitor," she said. "Guys, this is Stella."

And that's when I noticed the girl standing off to the side.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Gazzy asked, staring wide eyed at the stranger. He took the words right out of my mouth. Everyone else was staring, too. (Iggy was staring in her general direction.)

Stella stepped forward. "Hi. I'm sorry to interrupt your rest, but I have something of importance to tell you."

Then she told us about The Resistance and how it had been fighting Itex and the schools behind the scene. "Our number grew slowly at first, mostly because the scientists have only been really good at making mutants for twenty years. Before then, most of the experiments didn't survive very long."

Her calm, controlled voice broke here, and she paused for a moment to collect herself. Then she went on.

"The number of new members each year has been growing steadily, but skyrocketed after you guys got rid of Itex."

Just doing our duty, ma'am.

"So, like, what kind of hybrid are you?" interrupted Nudge. I rolled my eyes and sighed inwardly. The day Nudge stopped talking would be the day I stopped wearing black.

With a slight rustling sound, Stella snapped out a pair of leathery, black bat wings.

_Whoa. Didn't see that coming._

"I have bat DNA," she stated plainly, as if she were almost bored of the fact.

Everybody gasped.

"What happened, what did she do?" Iggy whispered to Gazzy.

"She's got bat wings, Ig," he hissed back.

There was an uncomfortable silence. I generously volunteered myself to get us back on topic.

"So, what are you getting at?" I asked Stella. "What does this 'Resistance' have to do with us?"

"Frankly, we could use your help," she began. "There are still a lot of problems world wide. Itex wasn't the only company hoping to gain control; we know of at least fifteen others who are planning their own schemes for world domination. We, that is, the Resistance hope to shut these down the way you did with Itex. So basically, I'm offering all of you membership to The Resistance."

**Argh, it's so hard to write from Fang's POV! What do you think of Stella? I think I may put her POV into the next chapter so as to better develop her character. **

**Just so you know, the review button is a very lovely person… I'm sure you would get along just fine if you clicked it… ;)**

Lothere


	3. The Decision

**Here's the third chappie, my friends. I think it's better than the second. Yay, I'm improving! Enjoy!**

**Later that night, Max POV**

It was Fang's watch. Everyone else had gone to sleep. But I _still_ couldn't get any rest. I was too busy thinking about Stella and her offer. I mean, Angel has been picking through her brain while she was here, and Angel didn't find anything suspicious. So I couldn't prove that Stella was lying or planning anything against us. However, while the Flock _was_ without a specific mission at the moment, but I wasn't convinced that joining the Resistance was the right move.

Before she had left, Stella had told us to think about it before making a decision. She said she would be back in the morning. How could we make a decision without knowing the particulars? For instance, who was the leader of the Resistance? I definitely wasn't going to join without knowing who we were working for. I didn't even like the idea of working for someone! I had always decided what the Flock did, and I wouldn't tolerate someone else ordering us around.

I gave up on trying to fall asleep and went to sit next to Fang. The corners of his mouth turned up, but he didn't say anything. After a couple minutes, I broke the silence.

"Fang? What do you think about Stella?"

"I don't know. She seemed a little weird and uptight, but I don't think she's dangerous."

"What about the Resistance?"

Fang was silent for a moment.

"I think," he said slowly, "that we should find out more before deciding one way or the other. Saving the world would be a lot easier if we had more people on our side. And it's not as if we'd be doing anything we haven't done before. Kicking ass is our specialty."

I agreed, laughing.

"But I definitely need more information," I said, become serious again. "I don't want us walking into a trap. Stella is going to have to tell us more about how they run things."

I was cut off by a face-cracking yawn. God, I was tired.

Fang looked at me disapprovingly. "Go to sleep Max, I can tell you're exhausted."

I nodded sleepily and leaned against his shoulder. I didn't have the strength or the will power to climb back to my branch. At first he stiffened, but then relaxed.

"Good night, Max," he whispered. It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

**Next morning, Stella POV**

I woke up and stretched luxuriously. Then I remembered what I had to do. My innards started tying themselves into knots. I wasn't good at talking with other kids. It was stupid of me to request retrieval squad for my job; I scare everybody who sees me. Why oh why did I have to be part bat?

_Business, Stella. Business. _I thought to myself. If I kept my mind on the task at hand, I wouldn't puke with nervousness. How I wished I could talk normally and make friends! But every time I tried, I made myself look stupid. Or freaked out whoever I was talking to.

I sighed and rolled out of bed. I threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, made an attempt to fix my hair, failed, and grabbed a Pop Tart from the kitchen. I didn't bother with shoes. Why walk when you can fly?

I surveyed my cabin before walking out the door. I had found it a couple years ago, abandoned and dusty. It didn't take much to spruce it up a bit, and before I knew it, I had a home. The location fit my style, too. I wouldn't have been comfortable in the city; there were too many people and loud noises. Bat ears are too sensitive for the sound of angry voices, car horns, and God knows what else 24/7.

I closed the door behind me and took off into the sky.

After locating the Ride's camp, I circled and landed. They were waiting for me.

I slipped on my business personality. Nothing could hurt me when I kept things business like.

"Good morning," I greeted them. "Have you reached a decision?"

Max stepped forward. "We don't know enough _about_ the Resistance to make a decision. Could you tell us who runs it?"

"Certainly. All of our major decisions are made by The Committee; a group of mutants elected by the Resistance members. All members of the Committee have equal power."

The tall, dark haired boy named Fang spoke up. "So who, specifically, will be commanding the Flock?"

"That all depends," I answered. "If you decide to become full members, you'll be given a specific job. Each job is overseen by a Committee member. You can request a certain job, and they would probably put you all together if you asked."

Max looked uncertain. I could tell they were going to need a little extra persuasion.

"I'll tell you what. What you guys come to HQ with me and give being in the Resistance a shot? If you don't like it, you can leave."

Max turned to the rest of the Flock. "What do you guys think?"

"Sure, why not?" said Fang with a shrug.

"Ok, Max," Angel said sweetly.

"Yay! This is going to be fun!" laughed Nudge.

"Fine by me," said Iggy.

"Do you guys use explosives?" asked Gazzy.

"I guess we're in," said Max.

We left immediately. I hoped the Committee would be Ok with them staying at HQ without membership. _Well, what's done is done._ I thought to myself. _If they don't like it, they're just going to have to deal with it!_

**Review, please!**

**Lothere**


	4. Questions and Answers

**Yo peoples! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been super-ultra busy. Right now, I'm sick so I have some extra time on my hands. Anyway, here's chappie #4!! Enjoy! R&R!**

**Max POV**

"So, Stella," I began, "how long is it going to take us to get to the HQ?"

"Well, we started in Northern California, correct? The HQ is in Pennsylvania, and we'll need to cover a distance of about 2,800 miles. We'll probably be going at a rate of about 60 miles an hour, so about 48 hours if we go without stopping. However, if we add the time for sleep, food, and bathroom breaks, we come up with about… 3 days," she said, sounding like a living calculator.

I nodded, trying to look like I had understood everything she said.

"Maybe while we're flying, you could tell us a bit more about the Resistance?" I suggested.

"Of course," she replied. "The HQ of the Resistance not only acts as a military base, but also as a kind of orphanage for young mutants who are on their own and unable to take care of themselves. Once they have reached the appropriate age, they can choose to join the cause or leave the HQ to live on their own. If at any time a member of the Resistance wants to leave, they are unconditionally permitted to do so. Nobody is ever forced to join or stay," she said. The tone of her voice almost made her sound as if she were reciting from a brochure or something. It was mildly annoying.

"What about those jobs you told us about before?" I questioned. "Exactly what sort of jobs would we be doing?"

"There are two main types of jobs. You can choose to battle the organizations we fight directly, or you may decide to participate in the upkeep program. Since the Resistance is run largely by the mutants, we have to cook our own food, make our own clothes (if we are unable to buy any), keep the HQ in good condition, etc. Depending on an individual's talents, the Committee will _suggest_ a job to every new member. However, the final decision lies with said individual," she answered.

How the heck was I going to put up with this girl for three days? We usually flew a lot faster than this. If we went at our normal speed, we could probably reach the HQ in two days.

"Can't we go any faster?" I asked impatiently.

"This is the fastest I can go at a steady rate," she replied calmly. "Bat wings aren't built for speed like bird wings."

"Well, couldn't you just tell us how to get there?"

"You need a pass key to get in, and you don't have one."

"Can't we borrow yours?" I was getting _really_ irritated with this girl.

She shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. We don't carry our pass keys around in our pockets; that would be risky and cumbersome. Our security guards and surgeons have found a more efficient way to admit members to the HQ."

She held up her palm, and I could see a thin white scar, obviously from delicate surgery.

"Only members who choose to work outside the HQ get pass keys. It can be quickly and painlessly removed upon request."

_God, she's like an annoying combination of Nudge and Fang. She'll go on and on about any subject, but without any emotion in her voice. Although Fang might not be as passive as I thought…_

I glanced over at him as inconspicuously as I could. He was listening to Nudge blab about who knows what, and, surprisingly, looking slightly interested. Hm.

"You're it!" shouted Iggy, whapping me on the back with his wing, then shooting off to the right while cackling manically. Now, how does the blind guy sneak up on me? I may never figure it out. Stella laughed softly.

_Ohmigod, she can laugh. At something that's not even downright hilarious. _

**Don't be too quick to judge, Max. You can't judge a book by its cover. **

_Give the Voice a prize for the cliché of the year, _I thought sarcastically. _So what's _your_ opinion of Stella and the Resistance?_

Of course, the Voice had no mighty wisdom to bestow on little me. Damn it and its fickleness.

**Iggy POV**

Stella's voice made me sleepy. It had this really weird lilt to it that was oddly… soothing. I've never heard anything like it. And I would know, because I _never_ forget a voice. When you don't have anything to look at, you tend to hang on to sounds.

I did some coasting; it helped me relax. And I thought about explosions. I like explosions. They're loud and hot and I'm good at causing them. Whenever I make a really good explosive, it makes me feel like I'm good for something and not just a dead weight. But only Gazzy seems to understand it. I'm more of a freak than anyone else.

I shook my head. It's no good to thinking about that. It is what it is.

I flew up next to Fang. I knew it was Fang because his wings don't make any sound at all when he flies; you only feel the rush of air on his down beat.

"Hey, Fang?"

"Iggy?"

"What does Stella look like?" Did I just ask that? I hadn't meant to ask that.

"Dark long hair. Long arms and legs. Medium colored skin. And of course, the bat wings. Why do you ask?"

"Just wanted to know, I guess," I said. Crap, I wasn't blushing, was I? Ugh, what the hell is wrong with me? I had asked Fang to describe girls to me before, so why was I so embarrassed all of the sudden?

I shot up towards the sun. Maybe if I got close enough, it would melt all of my thoughts away.

**Ok, that's enough for now! Now, you see that button at the bottom of the page? You should click it! It's a nice little button! It will make a window pop up where you can write what you thought of my story! You see how that works? :D**


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